


The Interns

by EllenArcher



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-12 13:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19946914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenArcher/pseuds/EllenArcher
Summary: When Cyrus and his high school bully both get an internship at the same company, he starts to see there is more to TJ than he previously thought. And maybe they're actually not that different after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! I'm not done with my other Andi Mack work yet, but I'm honestly super excited about this one!  
> It is heavily inspired by the Dan/Blair relationship on Gossip Girl. Basically enemies going to friends going to lovers, with a very comedic undertone. Super cute! A great relationship!  
> Gossip Girl was not a great show, but that relationship really was something special, until they ruined it.  
> But, I'm going to take that story and rewrite it for our boys, with a happy ending of course!  
> I also have to give credit to @captainkippen, as I'm currently reading his lovely story "Speaking in Cursive," and I hope my work encapsulates just a little bit of that vibe! I hope I can do it!  
> I hope you enjoy! Please leave feedback!

Cyrus knew that over holiday break was the best time to apply to internships taking place during the spring semester. He was in his third year of college, and wanted to get some internships under his belt before he graduated.

A smart – albeit somewhat neurotic – young man, Cyrus had always been academically focused, and that hadn’t changed as he entered higher education. Sure, he had changed in other ways, but he was still the same mild-mannered dork he had always been. And he was perfectly fine with that.

As a matter of fact, he was proud of himself. He had had the courage to come out as gay his first year of college, something he hadn’t been sure he would ever be able to do. But it was true what they said: people in college are a lot more open-minded. Cyrus didn’t feel at all like he was being judged by his peers, like how he felt in high school. Man, he did not miss those jocks making fun of him. Especially TJ Kippen. Ugh, he was the worst.

But that was all in the past. Cyrus was out and proud now. Well, he’d be prouder if he had a boyfriend, but whatever. At least he was more confident than he used to be.  
And he was making some serious strides in his professional life, too. Right now, he was applying for those internships he was so determined to get. Yes, he was very self-motivated, but also, there wasn’t much else to do over holiday break. Cyrus was the only one of his friends who had stayed in town in Shadyside for the month-long vacation.

Andi had gone to spend time with her girlfriend Amber and her family, Buffy was on a trip with her college basketball team, and Jonah was staying at his college in California. Which left Cyrus all alone with no one to hang out with. Thus, he sat at his computer submitting applications for internships of all kinds.

Cyrus’s parents and stepparents were all therapists, so he knew they would expect him to take a psychology internship. But that really wasn’t what he wanted. Actually, he was hoping to get a work experience in film. He had always loved making movies, and had been a part of the film club in high school. Now that he was in college, he was focused on his double major of Psychology and Communications, so he hadn’t had quite as much time as he would have liked to spend on making films.

However, he could absolutely tie a film production internship into his communications major, and he could probably even spin it so that it counted as a credit for his Psychology course as well. Maybe something about the effect of creating on the brain? The therapeutic effects of the visual medium? He knew there was something there. But he would worry about that once he actually _got_ the internship.

Well, if he got the internship. But he was trying to think positively. Believe it, and it will come true, right?

Although, that hadn’t yet worked with the whole boyfriend thing. Cyrus had believed he would have a successful relationship for a few years now, but he never went on more than a couple dates before he realized the guy he was with was not for him.

Before Cyrus could dwell too much on his romantic woes, his phone dinged. It was a reminder from the movie theater app he had downloaded recently. The indie theater in downtown Shadyside was playing _Philadelphia_ , one of his favorite older movies. Oh, he had to go to that!

He checked his watch and saw that the movie was starting in an hour. Perfect! That meant he had time to run down to The Spoon, his favorite hang-out since middle school, and grab a bite to eat. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the same as when he and his friends were kids, and Amber didn’t work there anymore, but it was still a nostalgic and fun time whenever he was there.

Cyrus grabbed his coat and headed out the front door, figuring he would walk the short distance to the eatery, even though it was quite cold outside. He was used to it, living in the Midwest all his life. And the walk wasn’t long. Nothing in Shadyside was too far way, which was one of the reasons Cyrus loved it. He couldn’t believe Jonah had gone to college so far away. He missed his best guy friend, but he knew Jonah was happy making music on the west coast.

And Cyrus was happy where he was. He truly enjoyed his classes at Shadyside University, and it was great to be close to home when he needed to be. The campus was only about 15 minutes from his childhood home, where he was staying during his month off.

Before he knew it, Cyrus had pulled up to the door of The Spoon. The diner looked as it always did, bright and cheery. He smiled to himself as he pulled open the door, instantly smelling the greasy baby taters and the sugary syrup.

That smile was quickly wiped off his face though, when he went up to the counter to order. He was immediately elbowed by the man next to him, who, without turning his head, mumbled, “Wait your turn, pal.” And the way he said “pal,” he clearly didn’t mean it in a friendly way.

Cyrus rolled his eyes, but bit his tongue. He just wanted to grab some food and get to the movie theater. He wasn’t here to get in an argument.

But his mood soured even more when the man grabbed his bag and turned to go, finally facing Cyrus. It was TJ. TJ Kippen, one of the meanest jocks at Jefferson Middle and High School. Cyrus hadn’t seen the boy in a few years, since they had graduated, and honestly, it had been a relief.

TJ and Cyrus had never gotten along particularly well, mostly because TJ picked on anyone who was different from him, but also because he had briefly dated Buffy, one of Cyrus’s best friends, and Cyrus had never felt TJ was good enough for her. This had caused quite a rift between Buffy and Cyrus for a while, which made Cyrus hate TJ even more. How dare he come between Cyrus and his best friend!

Sometimes Cyrus still couldn’t believe Buffy had dated him. But well, TJ was kind of handsome. And he wasn’t mean to everyone. Just people not in the “elite” groups of the school. But because Buffy was the star player on the basketball team, she was pretty popular, and that fit right in with TJ’s image. And he actually seemed pretty happy with her.

In fact, Buffy had been the one to break up with TJ. She hadn’t really ever told Cyrus why, but he figured Buffy just finally realized what a jerk TJ was. Cyrus hadn’t questioned it; he was just happy the relationship was over.

And he hadn’t had to deal much with TJ after that. Until now.

Because now, TJ stood right in front of Cyrus, and he didn’t seem to be moving.

“Goodman?” he questioned, seeming a little incredulous. Which was weird, because why would he be so surprised that Cyrus was at the best restaurant in town? They always saw each other here in high school – though they very much stayed in their own corners of the place.

“Yeah?” Cyrus asked, not masking his contempt for the other boy at all. “Is there a problem?”

TJ shook his head. “No, not at all. I just didn’t expect to see you here. Buffy told me you guys were going to spend holiday break together.”

Cyrus paused. He didn’t know Buffy and TJ still talked. That was weird. Apparently, the breakup had been more amicable than he thought.

“Uh, yeah,” Cyrus stuttered, surprised he was sort of having a conversation with the guy he detested. “We were going to, but then at the last minute her basketball team got accepted into a championship across state.”

“Oh, awesome!” TJ exclaimed, honestly seeming excited for her. Huh. Yeah. They were definitely on friendly terms. Cyrus would have to ask Buffy about that next time they talked. “Well, I better get going. I don’t want to be late for the movie.”

For some reason, Cyrus found himself asking, “What movie are you seeing?”

TJ turned around, having already started towards the door. “ _Philadelphia_ , down the street at The Independent.”

“Oh. I… I didn’t know you liked old movies.”

TJ smirked. “Yeah, I guess I’m not just a dumb jock like you think.”

“Nah, I think I was pretty on point with that generalization,” Cyrus snapped back, remembering what a jerk this guy could be. He wasn’t about to feel pity for him for being “misunderstood” or something.

TJ rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Goodman. See you around. Well, hopefully not.”

Cyrus almost let him go, but he couldn’t help himself. “Kippen?”

“What?” TJ retorted, hand on the door knob.

“I’m going to the movie, too. Just… don’t sit next to me, okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Who else misses our show already?? ME!!!!  
> I really really hope we get a movie or another season!!  
> Until then, please enjoy my story!!

A few days later, TJ was on his way out the door when his mom called his name. “Can you come into the kitchen, honey?” she asked. TJ groaned inwardly, but obeyed.

He loved his mom a lot, but it was difficult to get used to her being so involved in his life again. He had been staying at his dorm at State University almost always, so being back home for a month was a bit of a rude awakening. Suddenly he didn’t have the independence he loved so much. His mom was back to pestering him constantly (out of love, she insisted).

“What’s up, Mom?” TJ asked as he entered the spacious kitchen. His mom was sitting at the table with a book and a laptop in front of her.

“Have you applied to any internships yet?” She pretended to be casually asking, but TJ knew that wasn’t really the case. She had been nagging him to apply to internships since the past semester had started, but TJ hadn’t done it. He wasn’t just being lazy; he just truthfully had no idea what kind of internship would even appeal to him. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, and he still hadn’t declared a major, instead continuing to take general education classes at the university, until he hopefully found something that clicked with him. No luck yet.

TJ just didn’t want to accidentally pick a major that he wasn’t passionate about, and be stuck doing a job in that field for the rest of his life. He knew that would make him miserable. And he had had enough misery to last a lifetime when he was in high school.

But that was years ago, and he needed to stop dwelling on it. He needed to keep turning over the new leaf he was working on, and striving to be a better person. But that was much easier said than done. Especially when all of his old friends kept begging him to hang out and fall into old habits. TJ was determined not to give in to them, though. So maybe he should listen to his mom for once, and focus on trying to get an internship.

“TJ?” his mom prodded. Oh, oops. He realized he hadn’t actually responded to her yet.

“Uh, yeah,” he lied. “I applied to uh…” his phone dinged and he quickly looked down. It was an alert from the movie theater. That got him thinking. “To a film company,” he finished, inspired by the app. Truly, he did love movies. Might as well tell his mom that’s the kind of internship he wanted. It was believable enough.

What TJ didn’t plan for was a slew of follow-up questions. “What’s the production company? What would you be doing for the internship? How long does it last?” she rattled off question after question.

“Um… you know, I have to go now, but I’ll answer all your questions when I get back,” TJ promised, somewhat convincingly (he hoped). Well, he _had_ been on his way out the door, so it’s not like it was totally out of the blue that he had to be somewhere. Plus, now he had bought himself some time before he had to come up with actual answers to those questions.

As he walked to the library, TJ thought about how he could sell this lie to his mother. All he really had to do was find a film internship and see the specifics they were giving for the position. He didn’t even have to actually apply. She would never know. It was an easy fib to get away with. And he only felt a little bit guilty.

When TJ got to the library, he grabbed a table for himself and his tutee, then went to go grab a coffee from the little café in the back. As he was browsing the menu for the special drinks of the season, he heard a voice mutter “What are _you_ doing here?”

TJ turned around, already knowing who the voice belonged to, and trying not to wince externally. Cyrus Goodman. Of course. Just his luck.

Okay, Cyrus wasn’t actually the _worst_ person in the world, like TJ often made him out to be. It’s just, the two of them really didn’t get along. They never had. They came from different worlds, essentially. The only thing they had in common was that they were both friends with Buffy Driscoll.

Although, _were_ TJ and Buffy friends? He hoped she still considered him one, because he was quite fond of her. And they did still talk occasionally, which he appreciated. Buffy had been a great first girlfriend. Well, his only girlfriend, really. But that was probably for the best.

Whoops, TJ had done that thing again where he was taking forever to answer the question directed at him. But then again, it’s not like he really had to explain to Cyrus what he was doing at the library. It’s not like they were friends.

“What does it matter to you?” TJ retorted, rolling his eyes. “We’re not friends just ‘cause we went to a movie together.”

Oh, yeah, about that. Despite all their protests, they had realized once they got to the movie theater the other day that it would be weird if they sat in different rows, especially because there was only one other group of people at the showing. So TJ and Cyrus had ended up sitting beside each other during the previews and subsequently the whole film. And maybe they had even shared their concessions. But only because it was polite and economical. Not because they were friends or anything. No, certainly not.

Besides, that was a one-off. They weren’t going to make a habit of it. They both agreed to that as they exited the theater and went their separate ways.

And yet here they were again, in the same room together, sharing space involuntarily.

“I never said we were,” Cyrus replied. “I just didn’t expect you to be at the library.”

“Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I tutor someone at State U, and he’s taking a winter class, so we have a session here.”

Cyrus’s eyes widened comically. Or, well, it would have been comical if TJ thought Cyrus was funny or charming or something. But he definitely didn’t. “You’re a tutor?” he asked incredulously.

TJ tried not to be offended by that. “Again, not your business, but yes.”

“Hmm, maybe I underestimated you.”

What? Cyrus Goodman admitting he may have been wrong about someone? Was TJ hearing correctly? “Is that a compliment?”

“Absolutely not.” Ah, of course.

“Whatever.” TJ shook it off. Why had he expected Cyrus to say something nice to him, anyway? “What are _you_ doing here, anyway?”

“I was just getting a coffee, if that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, I don’t care what you do, Goodman,” TJ replied, grabbing his own drink and heading over to a table.

“Well, have fun tutoring,” Cyrus said dismissively, grabbing some napkins before making his way across the café.

As he headed to the door though, the wind whistled harshly outside, and the snowfall picked up, coming down in huge chunks. “Uh…” Cyrus didn’t exactly want to go outside in that weather. Maybe he shouldn’t walk home right now.

TJ sighed. “You might as well stay,” he groaned, pulling out a chair at his table for Cyrus. “At least until the weather clears up.”

“Don’t do me any favors,” Cyrus scoffed, but he took the seat. Putting his bag around the back of the chair, he faced TJ. “What are you tutoring this kid in?”

“Since when do you care what I do in my free time?”

“I don’t.”

“Then why ask?”

“Excuse me for trying to make conversation.”

“You’re excused.” TJ couldn’t help it, he smirked as he said it. And maybe he was wrong, but it kind of looked like Cyrus was smiling back. No, that couldn’t be.

“But seriously,” Cyrus began. “What subject do you tutor?”

“Uh, math, if you can believe it.”

“Why wouldn’t I believe it?” Cyrus was confused.

“Come on, I know you always thought I was dumb in high school,” TJ said teasingly.

Cyrus frowned. “I never said that.”

“I know. Still.” TJ was still smiling, but it was a rather sad smile.

“Well, I don’t think that. You’re… you’re smart,” Cyrus found himself saying.

“Now, again, and this time like you mean it,” TJ joked.

“You know what, whatever. You don’t have to believe me. But you’re smart, and you’re creative. You’re just a little rough around the edges.”

Okay, now Cyrus _knew_ he sounded sincere. Because he actually kind of meant what he was saying. Huh. He hadn’t even realized that.

Not that he was starting to tolerate TJ Kippen. God, no.

“Well, thanks, I guess,” TJ replied, his face a little pink. “I’ll be sure to put that on all my future job applications.”

Cyrus chuckled. “Hey, it’s better than putting ‘school bully and perpetual follower.’”

“Excuse me, I am not a follower. I am an individual!” TJ protested. Although, he wasn’t sure if he even believed that himself. Maybe he wasn’t the original voice he wished he was. Maybe he _did_ tend to just blend in with everyone else.

Well, he didn’t want to. At least not anymore. And not only because it would look bad on job applications.

Speaking of job applications, that got TJ thinking. Hmm, maybe he should actually start to look for an internship. He needed something to fill up his time anyway, since his break so far had been decidedly uneventful. He made a mental note to look at some film internships when he got home from tutoring.

“Sorry, but you totally just sounded like The Elephant Man,” Cyrus laughed. “’I am not an animal! I’m a human being!’” He imitated the famous scene.

Suddenly, TJ was laughing, too. He could appreciate a good film reference any day. Hmm, maybe spending time with Cyrus wasn’t _that_ bad.

But no sooner had he had the thought than Cyrus was standing up. “It looks like it’s clearing up out there. I’m going to get going,” he declared, finishing the last sip of his coffee.

And what was that TJ was feeling? It felt kind of like…no, it couldn’t be. Was that… disappointment? Was he actually disappointed to see Cyrus Goodman go? No. No way. He shook that feeling off quickly. He just probably liked goofing off rather than explaining math problems to some freshman. Yeah, that was it.

Actually, TJ’s tutee was a nice kid, and the session went pretty well. He couldn’t complain, anyway. The money was good, and tutoring in a subject he used to really struggle in himself _did_ make TJ feel pretty proud of himself. He walked home in a good mood, deciding to head right upstairs to his computer before his mom could interrogate him about any internships.

And he actually did want to apply to a film company. He didn’t want to be a “perpetual follower” as Cyrus had called him. He wanted to be that smart, creative person Cyrus had also mentioned. Although, why did it matter what Cyrus thought of him? He would always see the worst in TJ, anyway.

TJ couldn’t dwell on his thoughts for too long, though, because there was a knock on the door downstairs. He knew his mom was probably still working on her laptop, so he raced down the stairs to answer it.

Bizarrely, he found _Cyrus_ of all people on the other side of the door. “Goodman? What are you doing here? I’m sorry, are we friends?” he asked snippily.

“Of course not,” Cyrus replied immediately. “But I accidentally grabbed your gloves off the table when I left the library. Do you have mine?”

Oh, shoot. TJ hadn’t even realized. He grabbed his coat from where he had hung it up and dug in the pockets. Whoops. Indeed, a pair of gloves that did not belong to him now sat in his hands. He turned back to Cyrus to exchange with him.

“Thanks. See you around. Maybe at the movies?”

“Yeah, maybe.” TJ gave a little wave and shut the door. Now, back to applying for that production job. But before he could rush upstairs, his mom called out, “Honey? Who was at the door?”

TJ hesitated, then shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him from the kitchen. “Just a friend of mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think! What's good? What's bad? What could be better?


End file.
